Twenty Good Years: Gone After Four Episodes

by Trevor Kimball, November 7, 2006

Last week, NBC announced that they were shaking up their schedule, particularly on Thursday nights. The Emmy Award-nominated sitcom Scrubs is returning earlier than expected and the freshman comedy 30 Rock will be moving to Thursday nights. These two comedies, combined with My Name Is Earl and The Office, will create a block of sitcoms on Thursday nights that NBC hopes will return them to the glory days of their past Must-See TV (shows like The Cosby Show, Family Ties, Seinfeld, Cheers, etc.). This new schedule will take effect at the end of the current sweeps period on November 30th.

Kevin Reilly, President of NBC Entertainment announced, “We are excited about the prospect of two-hours of top-notch comedy on Thursday nights, which includes the return of Scrubs. We will stay on-brand with the best comedy block on television, which will position us for the future on the night.”

But what about the new sitcom Twenty Good Years?

Twenty Good Years debuted on October 11th, paired with Tina Fey’s 30 Rock. The show centered around two friends that decide they probably only have twenty good years left to live. They both decide to spend their last good years doing things they’ve never done before. Years featured sitcom veterans John Lithgow (Third Rock from the Sun), Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) and guest Judith Light (Who’s the Boss). A great cast but unfortunately, the reviews and the show’s ratings were less than spectacular. The last episode was only watched by approximately 4.5 million.

Twenty Good Years was conspicuously missing from the revised NBC line-up and was scheduled to go on “indefinite hiatus” as of November 30th. Fans had every right to be suspicious that the show would never return. NBC has now announced that the show has indeed been cancelled, after just four episodes, and has been pulled from the schedule, effective immediately. The Biggest Loser will be expanded to fill the void left by Years on November 8th.

Production is expected to continue on Years’ original 13-episode commitment despite its absence from the schedule. Perhaps they will be issued on DVD or made available via NBC’s website (like the recently cancelled Kidnapped series). Time will tell.

Well I finally googled this show to find out it truly did go away after such a short run. My teenage son and I thought this show was a hoot and were looking forward to the rest of the episodes. How about Weds. night? There is absolutely nothing to watch!
Hope it goes to DVD- We’d buy it!

20 good years was GREAT!
I watched it & enjoyed every minute. the chemistry between the 2 leading men was
uncanny & extremely entertaining. I laughed througout the show. I was happy because there was this show on TV that i could look forward to watching each week.
So very sad that it is not on any more.
PLEASE put it back on TV,
thanks!

20 Good Years was the best show NBC has come up with yet, and they pull it? Going with the lowest type of “enterainment” the fat people, has lowered my opinion of NBC to that of lawn grass. I hope one of the cable channels can afford to produce this show, or anything with John Lithgow. NBC has two very unhappy viewers in this house by making the decision to cancel “20 Good Years”.
Hey Katie, you’re looking really good these days!

What are they thinking?? One of the funniest sitcoms in a long time and they want to fill the void with The Biggest Loser?? Yes, I agree, they are!! 30 Rock has been disappointing, but 20 Good Years was John Lithgow at his ever loving BEST!! What a loss for us all.

I loved this show! Why oh why is it cancelled? I still adore NBC,but I am mad about the fact that they chose to ax this show,it was truly great. Hilarious and classy and just overall good. Heck,the show didn’t even last Twenty Good Episodes (lol,get the joke? Twenty Good Years,Twenty Good Episodes) it lasted Four Good Episodes. That’s it! At least NBC didn’t cancel the series after the much-hated pilot that would’ve been worse but this is still very bad.

This was the funniest show on television. We have lost a first rate comedy. The team of John Lithgow and Jeffrey Tambor was hilarious. Please consider bringing it back. We can’t believe you have cancelled this show, while keeping those awful reality shows.

I’m disappointed to see Twenty Good Years go, I thought that show was great. I’m wondering if the NBC execs are also the writers on Passions. It was refreshing to see a show that didn’t suck. They cancel this show but I heard they’re scouting for more “talent” for the second season of America’s Got Talent. Pretty soon, all that will be left will be these crap “reality” shows.

Why doesn’t NBC’s site say it’s cancelled, bad for publicity? I’ve been searching their site for weeks already! I agree, bad job of promoting the show ’cause it absolutely had my interest and I’m thoroughly disappointed that it’s gone!

This is just a shame! Frankly I thought that the time slot was just atrocious. I had to tape it and watch it at 9PM. It was only just a few shows but I miss it. John Lithgow back again and then you pull the show. I almost never watch NBC. This show was the only reason I had so I guess I can move on. I will check the listings from time to time though to see if the powers that be had the good sense to bring it back.

What are the execs at NBC thinking? 20 Good years is an excellent show with two very accomplished actors who were great together. There is definitely a lack of “good” shows on TV anymore and when one does come out it is refreshing. 20 Good Years had the potential to be one of the “good” shows. NBC and the other networks it seems would rather fill their airtime with junk reality shows that are utterly ridiculous. Wake up NBC.

What a shame that you killed “twenty good years”! That was a GREAT show! It’s funny that you don’t take the time to remember the Seinfeld and Friends days. They both started out slow as well. But both are remembered as the greatest! This show would have been too! John Lithgow, Jeffery Tambor….The single greatest combination on T.V.!!! BRING BACK TWENTY GOOD YEARS! If not, I guess it’s back to ABC I go.